Villa Amoudi - (Accommodation in Amoudi)

Phil W  (10 September 2002)         

Just returned yesterday from my second visit to Amoudi Villas since June. I love the island as a whole and in particular Amoudi, from where Sam and I based our forays. The appartments' owners, Sakis and Pepe, are lovely people. I'm so disappointe3d in JMC's decision to pull out of Amoudi next season (not enough profit margin for them) that I plan to create a website for the town, probably by October. In answer to some questions though, you'll be looking at about 17.5 euros for the taxi from the airport. Twenty with the tip is fair, I think. Transfer time 25 minutes. Pubs and Tavernas? The Camelot bar attached to Amoudi Villas has got to be the best by far. Achillion restaurant/swimming pool good for most food, the one along the road from Achillion is called Tasos and does fantastic calf's liver (over charcoal)and has only been open since June. For souvlaki , try Anatolis, 400 yards north up the main road. Very quiet and deserves more clientele though don't expect more than fast-food at lunchtime as the chef generally only works evenings. Good reports from Horizons restaurant on main road. Blue Dolphin next to Achillion does lots of English food(Indian night on Wednesday!)so I missed it out. It's run by a bloke from the West country, I believe.Anna's bar and pool 200 yards up the main road had a good reputation, though that's had a change of management this year and I can't judge it myself. The Last Resort is a sports bar, only open in the evenings. Pool table and sports channels, pretty English. Kozanos, good pool though I didn't eat there. Car hire and trips, see Stephanie for good deals, excellent advice and a chat over a Breezer! Nice lady. Best Soupermarket (spelling intentional!) is between Staphanie's and Amoudi Villas. I could go on for ever - until I get the site up, mail me at p.wright@sthree.com for further info and advice. I'll be as impartial as possible though I am a bit biased to the place! Yia mas!

Camelot Bar - (Bars in Amoudi)

Phil W           

I can't disagree with much here! Sakis and Pepe (and litte Ella of course!)are really nice people. Even the clientele are cool - no trouble at all, good spirits, goodwill and a great atmosphere. We've been to Amoudi twice this year,staying at the Villas each time - hopefully we'll be back there early next summer. If you go over there, tell them Phil and Sam will expect to see them some time at Christmas! Plenty of good music CDs in the drawer to choose from - pity some people insist on sitting and watching the footy on Sky Sports! Never mind, each to his own. The BBQ on Saturday is excellent and Sakis and his mate are very good dancers, being ex-professionals. Their performance inevitably leads to mass participation in the street outside the bar! Roll on 2003........ Yia mas!

Amoudi Beach - (Beaches in Zante)

Phil W           

Sam and I have been there twice this year, once in June then again last week. What a difference! The beach is very much man-made (sandbags and rocks beneath the sand to stop it washing around the bay) and in June was actually very pretty. It shelved very gradually into crystal clear, warm water, with patches of rocks here and there. You could walk out 30 metres or so before the water was above your waist. I don't swim, save float on my back and splash, though I learnt to snorkel around those rocks in water that was about 0.8 metre deep and upwards. A perfect introduction to the sport for a wimp like me! Come last week, we were a bit disappointed to find that after an unseasonally heavy storm in August, a lot of the beach had washed into the sea, leaving only 3 or 4 metres of beach before the water's edge. We found the beach (!) about 10 metres out to sea, forming a sand bar on which you could literally paddle, though there now a gulley between the beach and the bar, up to about 0.9 metres deep. The water around the rocks is even shallower now so snorkelling for the kids is really safe and there are still lots of fish to see. In September the water is warmer than June by a few degrees. Look for the rock that resembles a frog. The green sunloungers belong to the guy with the hut on stilts at the top of the hill beside Horizons. They do cost if he bothers to come down to collect. The orange ones are managed by a craggy little Greek bloke who knows little English besides 'hello', 'six euro' (for two longers per day) and 'thank you'. Don't think you can hide in the sea when he turns up because if your towel's on a lounger, he'll wait for you coming out to pay him! We know! He's OK though, I just wish I could understand him more. Maybe next time.....